1. Tuesday Quick Hits
With the schedule change this week and the joint practices cancelled with San Francisco, Tuesday's practice, which was originally scheduled for shells (helmets and shorts), was in full pads. --- With the practice in full pads, we saw the one-on-one drills as we have seen since the pads have gone on, offensive line vs defensive line, wide receivers vs defensive backs, and tight ends and running backs against linebackers and safeties. --- Linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner were back on the practice field, though not in a full capacity. Davis participated in walk-through before stretching wearing shells, while Werner watched walk-through from well behind the defense though he wore a helmet. It was the first time Werner had been on the field since signing his extension last week. -- Wide receivers Rashid Shaheed, Bub Means, and Equanimeous St. Brown all had red no contact jerseys at practice. ---Running back Alvin Kamara left practice early with back tightness and wide receiver A.T. Perry left after a team period with an ankle injury. --- Kicker Charlie Smythe assumed the kicking duties Tuesday, going five for seven, with misses from 51 yards left hash (wide right) and 59 yards right hash (wide left). Smythe is now 42 for 52 during training camp and preseason games. --- Quarterback Spencer Rattler got the majority of reps after Derek Carr's first team reps were complete. --- It was a day of Saints dignitaries at UC-Irvine. Former Saints legends and World Champions Drew Brees, Lance Moore, Scott Fujita, Rodney Leisle, Roman Harper and Scott Shanle all were in attendance. Dennis Allen mentioned post practice that Harper will be working with the defensive backs the rest of the week (as Malcolm Jenkins did last week), and Shanle will be joining myself and Erin Summers on the live Saints Training Camp Report show the rest of the week beginning at 11 a.m. central time on Yurview. The show is also replayed at 7 p.m. central.
2. Carr chunk plays
With an emphasis on running the ball during the first team period, there wasn't many opportunities for all three quarterbacks to show off their arms. That changed during the second team period, especially for Derek Carr, who took five reps to start the period. Reps one and five were running plays to Jamaal Williams and James Robinson respectively. Reps two through four, however, were big gains to three receivers. Rep two saw Carr roll slightly to his left, finding A.T. Perry in stride for a 30 yard gain. The next play, from the minus 37-yard line, it was Chris Olave's turn as he made a catch falling to the ground at the plus 42 for a 21-yard gain. Another big play came on the very next rep as Carr found tight end Foster Moreau in the middle of the field for another gain of at least 30 yards. The key component to these three reps is that Carr had ample time to survey the field and defense, and delivered passes which allowed yards after catch on two of the three, which is a big part of this new offensive scheme. Carr would later deliver a red zone touchdown on a 5-yard pass to Taysom Hill on a slant route after a well-executed play-action fake to James Robinson.
3. Play of the Day
During the third team period, with the offense moving right to left or west to east, Rattler had the ball on the minus 36-yard line. Rattler looked like he had tight end Dallin Holker on a 20-yard seam route. Cornerback Rezjohn Wright had other ideas, making a great break on the ball and intercepting the pass (which was slightly behind Holker) in stride and returning it deep into offensive territory. The media contingent noted it was the first interception we had seen in some time during these practices, so the pick was a bit of an anomaly, though of course that could change as quickly as Wednesday. It also brought to mind there were no turnovers for either team in the first preseason game against the Cardinals, pretty rare for the first preseason game.
Full coverage of the New Orleans Saints workouts during 2024 Training Camp at the University of California, Irvine on Tuesday, August 13.